I recently aquired an SS, so I loaded my sorc up with enough Str charms to hit 103 strength, socketed it with a -15 req jewel, and bugged the shield on using a random +30 str belt. It goes on fine, but whenever I remove anything with str, it turns red. Usually, this is fixable by switching weapons, but it doesn't work in this case. In fact, simply hitting 'w' will ruin the bug, and I'll have to use the belt to restore it.

I got some more charms to test it, bringing my str to 126 (req of shield is still 133). In this case, hitting 'w' works perfectly. I plan to just remove the jewel and put a diamond in it, but it's wasting a lot of valuable charm space. Is there a way to bug it when it has a req jewel? Hopefully I'm being clear.

If you remove any equipment at all, both your weapon and shield slot will be checked.

If, for example, you need 20 more for Arreat's Face and it gives +20 to carry itself when you equip it with str items, it will stay on.

SS unfortunately, cannot carry itself when you change any equipment at all. Also, when you enter every new game. Just level some more and add hard STR points. Sorcies get lousy +2life per vita anyway. Better to wear +20life charms than +str charms.

You misunderstand me. When SS does not have a -15 req in it, at 126 str, I can get it on, and it will work, even if I switch weapons and switch back. With a -15, I should be able to do it at 103 strength, but I can't. Apparently, the shield can carry itself when the req is below what it should be, but even switching weapons causes it to fail. I'm asking if there's a way to pull this off this.

You misunderstand me. When SS does not have a -15 req in it, at 126 str, I can get it on, and it will work, even if I switch weapons and switch back. With a -15, I should be able to do it at 103 strength, but I can't. Apparently, the shield can carry itself when the req is below what it should be, but even switching weapons causes it to fail. I'm asking if there's a way to pull this off this.

You misunderstand me. When SS does not have a -15 req in it, at 126 str, I can get it on, and it will work, even if I switch weapons and switch back. With a -15, I should be able to do it at 103 strength, but I can't. Apparently, the shield can carry itself when the req is below what it should be, but even switching weapons causes it to fail. I'm asking if there's a way to pull this off this.

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I just encountered the same problem exactly and found this thread. I am surprised that the problem has been unnoticed for years. I have seen many people suggested to socket a stormshield with a +15 resist/-15 req jewel or other nice rare jewels with -15 req. But apparently if your other gears and charms don't meet 126 strength, switching weapons (e.g. switch to CtA and then switch back) would cause you to "lose" your stormshield. In other words, the -15 req, i.e. 23 stat points saved, is basically useless, unless you play the whole game without switching weapons!

I wonder if a Hel rune has the same effect. And has anyone actually found a way to tackle it?

This is due to how the game equips items, I think. The jewel is "re-equipped" so to say, every time the shield is re-equipped. However, the jewel equips after the shield, so for equipping purposes, it is like the jewel wasn't there when the shield was equipped, then it equips, but now the shield is red and don't provide its str bonus, so it doesn't help equip itself. If that makes any sense.

As I understand it, it's not a problem if you don't intend to take advantage of the str bug because the str bug occurs anyway and saves more str than you lose because of not having the gain from -%req. With other words, the str bug and the req bug cancel out each other on a monarch

It wouldn't work on an aegis (str req 219) with +30 str because losing -15%req means more than 30 str then.